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Nerve injury to hand limited Jaguars RB Denard Robinson last year

Last week, Jaguars coach Gus Bradley filled me on why running back Denard Robinson had some issues last year catching and holding onto the football … but the conversation was entirely off the record.

But when general manager Dave Caldwell told USA Today yesterday about Robinson’s hand injury, the story is out there and here are some more details after talking to Caldwell this morning.

Caldwell said the injury is why Robinson didn’t finish his senior year at Michigan playing quarterback – he took a hit to the elbow and damaged the nerve.

“He didn’t have full strength in his hand and he couldn’t keep it open,” Caldwell said.

If Robinson tried to spread his hand out, it would quickly close back up, the fingers touching each other.

The Jaguars were aware of the injury when they drafted him, but Caldwell said Robinson played last year knowing the injury could get no worse. And he didn’t have surgery.

“With nerves, you never know when they’re going to re-generate – it could be a day, two days, a year, two years, three years,” Caldwell said. “With the time off this off-season and a lot of work, it came back for him.”

Caldwell admitted the injury, “didn’t help,” Robinson’s ball security issues, “but I don’t want to make excuses for him and I’m sure he won’t either.”